The Plottr alternative where you plan and write in one place
Plottr is a superb visual planner, with a real timeline, a series view and dozens of templates, and then you write the book somewhere else. If you would rather keep the storyboard, the cast, your word goals and the draft itself on one desk, Inkling was built for that.
Brackwater’s harbor, every crate counted
harbor master, wary of strangers
smugglers; pay Hesper to look away
the keeper left on a ship at night
who pays to keep it that way?
leads the Tidewardens
| Inkling | Plottr | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A writing desk: you plan and draft in the same place, with the Storyboard, cast and goals beside the words. | A visual planning tool. You plan in Plottr and write the book in another app, with Plottr open beside it. |
| Timeline | No timeline view. The Storyboard is a freeform board of cards you drag into order and connect with arrows. | Its signature strength: a timeline of scene cards across plotlines, subplots and character arcs, with an outline built from it. |
| Series | No series view. Give each book its own Storyboard and keep your cast in one place. | A Series View: as many books as you like, with a timeline for each book and for the whole series. |
| Templates | No plot templates on the board. Our free guides walk through outlining and structure. | 30+ plot and scene templates, such as the Hero's Journey, the Snowflake Method and Three Act Structure. |
| Characters and places | A guided character builder (wound, lie, want, need, arc) with exportable sheets, plus maps of your story's world. | Character bios with custom attributes, place details, and notes for your world. |
| Drafting | Write in Inkling's editor, or bring in chapters you already have in Google Docs. | No manuscript editor. Export your outline to Word or Scrivener and draft there. |
| Word goals | A word count by a date, with daily pace, a streak, and an optional email nudge. | Word count tracking while you write. |
| Offline and devices | Runs in your browser and installs as an app on phone or computer. It needs a connection to save. | Desktop apps for Windows and Mac. Pro adds a browser app for tablets and Chromebooks, cloud sync and real-time collaboration. |
| Generated help | An optional generator for recaps, covers and portraits. It never writes your story, and one switch in Setup turns it off. | None, and Plottr says it won't add any. |
| Price | 14 days to experience the full writing desk, build worlds, and be creative. No card to start. Then $9 a month (or $72 a year). | Plottr $60 a year or $150 lifetime. Pro $9.99 a month, $99 a year or $599 lifetime. 30-day free trial. |
Last checked October 2026. Plottr details come from its pricing page, features page and home page. Its prices were shown marked down from higher list prices, so check their site for current pricing.
Honestly, Plottr's timeline is the real thing
If your book has three points of view, two timelines, or five volumes, Plottr's timeline is hard to beat. Scenes sit on plotlines for your main plot, subplots and character arcs, an outline builds itself from them, and the series view lets you see the whole arc across books. Add 30+ templates and a lifetime license option, and it is a superb planner. Inkling has no timeline view, and we will not pretend otherwise.
Plan and write on the same desk
Plottr is built for planning, and you write the book in another app. Inkling keeps the plan beside the draft: lay out scenes on the Storyboard, then click into the chapter and write it. When the plan changes mid-draft, you change it where you are, not in a second program.
A cast with inner lives
Plottr gives you character bios with custom fields. Inkling's character builder walks you through the questions an arc depends on, the wound, the lie, the want and the need, and keeps each profile linked to the stories it appears in. For keeping a big cast straight, see how to keep track of characters.
Goals beside the draft
Because you write in Inkling, your word goal counts itself: set a target and a date, and it shows your daily pace and your streak. Planning a series? Our guide on how to plan a book series shows how to give each book its own board.
Which should you pick?
If you plan in timelines, juggle many plotlines, or are mapping out a long series, pick Plottr, and pair it with whatever you draft in. If you want a simpler card board with the draft, the cast and your goals in one place, try Inkling. Some writers will happily plan the series in Plottr and write each book in Inkling.
Common questions
Is Inkling a good Plottr alternative?
For some writers. If your story lives in its timeline, with many plotlines, points of view or books in a series, Plottr is the more powerful planner. If you want to plan on a simple card board and write the draft in the same place, with your cast and word goals beside it, Inkling fits better.
Does Inkling have a timeline like Plottr?
No. Inkling has no dedicated timeline view. Its Storyboard is a freeform board where each scene is a card you drag into order and connect with arrows. For tracking several timelines or a whole series at a glance, Plottr is stronger.
Can I write my whole novel in Inkling?
Yes. Inkling has its own editor for chapters, or you can bring in chapters you already write in Google Docs. You can export the whole book to Word, to a single Google Doc, or to print and PDF. Plottr, by design, is for planning, and you draft in another app.
How do Plottr and Inkling compare on price?
Plottr starts at $60 a year, or $150 for a lifetime license on Windows and Mac. Plottr Pro, with the browser app and cloud sync, is $9.99 a month, $99 a year, or $599 lifetime. Inkling is $9 a month, or $72 a year, after a 14-day trial with no card. Prices as listed in October 2026.
All of it. In one place.
This isn't five apps stitched together. Your storyboard, your cast, your maps, your covers, and the story itself all live on one desk, right beside the words. Nothing to sync between tools. No five separate subscriptions. Just everything a writer needs, finally in the same place.
Your whole writing desk, in one place
Start free today. Bring one story in, and see how much lighter it feels with everything beside it.